Mattress wrapping doesn’t account for fall in SIDS deaths

An Auckland postal survey of 400 mothers has found wrapping cot mattresses in plastic has not contributed to the continuing decline in SIDS mortality.

Mums who gave birth at National Women’s Hospital in Auckland between January 2005 and March 2005 were asked if they used plastic wrapping over their child’s mattress, and if so did the wrapping completely cover the mattress, in a study by Auckland University’s professor in child health research Ed Mitchell...

Professor Mitchell’s study finds parents who used plastic wrapping on cot mattresses were more likely to be European, sleep their baby supine, not share a bed and be a non-smoker – all factors associated with a reduced risk of SIDS. - Lucy Ratcliffe lratcliffe@nzdoctor.co.nz

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Travelling with Your Baby?

I just came across a Question and Answer from the BabyCenter UK Website which I thought might be useful:

We're going on holiday abroad in a few weeks' time. How can I help my baby adjust to a different time zone?

The BabyCentre Editorial Team answers:
Travelling with a baby or toddler can be tricky, and when it requires adjusting to a different time zone it can be even harder. But you can try some things to make the transition easier.

A few days before you head off on holiday, begin adjusting to the new time zone by moving your baby's sleep times an hour back or ahead each day. If you're flying to America, for example, this means your baby should go to bed a bit later each night and get up later in the morning. If you're going east to Europe, you could try moving your baby's bedtime a bit earlier each evening and wake her up earlier in the morning. You can adjust naptimes in the same way too.

When making travel arrangements, try and keep your baby's usual sleep times in mind. If you can, select a flight that arrives in the late afternoon or early evening and then you can put your baby to bed at her usual (adjusted) bedtime. Overnight flights can work well if the flight is long enough and you think your baby will actually sleep. Once you get on the plane, change your watch to the new time zone and stick to your baby's usual sleep times if you can.

Once you reach your destination, help your baby adjust to the new time zone. Although her internal clock may tell her it's evening, try and keep her busy during the daytime and spend as much time as possible outside. The exposure to sunlight will help adjust your baby's biological clock.

Of course, if your baby is very young, or if your trip is short, you may find it easier simply to keep your baby on her usual "home" time zone. If your baby is very young and sleeping lots during the day it won't make a huge amount of difference to change her sleep times. Toddlers and older children may be better at changing their sleep times than babies. Or if you are travelling east, to continental Europe, for example, you may prefer simply to put your child later to bed in the evening and let her wake up later, which can be no bad thing on holiday!

How to Choose a Crib

We recently found this fun site called "How Stuff Works".

It has all sorts of different topics and we felt the one on how to choose a crib might be useful.

"For the sake of the consumer, a lot of attention has been paid to crib safety. Any crib manufactured after February 1974 must conform to strict safety codes, which were necessitated by a large number of serious crib accidents. If you are considering an older crib, perhaps one that has been in your family, compare its features with the current safety standards"
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A Piece on Fleece

Rarely a week goes by that I don't get some sort of question about fleece fabric. Is fleece safe for my baby? Is fleece breathable? are some of the more common ones. So I thought it was time to give some more detailed information about fleece.

A bit of history on fleece: Polartec fleece was first invented in the early 80's by Malden Mills as an alternative to wool for extreme outdoor adventurers. Fleece has forever changed the way the world dresses for cold weather.

But it's not just for athletes. Fleece has found a great home in baby's and children's apparel. In fact, in 1999 Time Magazine named Polartec fleece "One of the hundred great things of the 20th century."

So what is fleece then? Fleece is basically a 100% polyester fabric with an “altered” fibre structure. This unique way of creating the fibres and the fabric result in the ability of the fabric to transfer moisture through itself (wicking) from the baby’s skin to the outside of the garment.

While cotton is a great fabric for some things, it is also a porous fabric and absorbs moisture holding it against a baby’s skin. This means when cotton fabrics get wet, they will stay wet --and clammy. They become uncomfortable and uncomfortable children become cranky. Further, cotton’s properties hinder the evaporation process which is important for keeping baby’s temperature at an appropriate level. In the winter it will make baby cold, in the summer too hot. Fleece breathes well and comes in a variety of weights appropriate to different seasons and climes—Vancouver rain or Whistler snow! Parents in the know are aware of these advances and use fleece to keep their baby warm and snug.

Fleece’s characteristics –

• Highly breathable – keeps baby dry. No rashes etc Highly breathable to provide comfort in all activities; does not restrict the movement of moisture vapour this idea links to the next benefit)
• Provides warmth without weight – great for long days. In the baby bag etc
• Pill resistant – stays soft and comfortable against baby’s skin even after many washings
• Low maintenance and durable, cleans ‘messes food etc” less laundry time = more play time
• Virtually stain-proof
• A quick-drying fabric
• Machine washable/dryable
• Very SOFT and immediately warm to the touch.

Plant a Tree for Baby

I was reading an article on carbon credits and came across a couple of interesting sites.

Dell has an initiative called "Plant a Tree for Me". In their own words, "Dell now makes it easy to help protect the Earth’s climate by offering anyone in the U.S. and Europe the opportunity to offset the CO2 emissions related to the use of an extended selection of IT products. Participants can also help offset the total one-year carbon impact of the average citizen. "

In Canada, this initiative has partnered with Tree Canada. Another great organization that "creates opportunities for individuals and groups with an interest in planting and caring for trees for non-commercial use. We assess projects from an environmental perspective and offer funding and/or technical assistance. Our planting partners, who have planted over 75 million trees in ten years, are responsible for ongoing care and maintenance."

What an interesting baby gift, instead of the usual!

Baby Toys Made in the USA

With all the recalls happening with baby products made in China, it's time to take a close look at the products our babies are using and playing with. We decided to do a bit of digging to see what locally and ethically-made, baby products we could find to share with you.

Here are a couple we found:

Wooden Toys:
Making handcrafted wooden toys in Vermont, Maple Landmark has been around for 25 years and has been getting rave reviews from their customers for their building blocks, toy trucks and trains, rattles, wooden games and more!

Stuffed Toys:
Another great find from Vermont is this Organic Stuffed Dog sold by Our Green House. Who wouldn't fall in love with this puppy! They also make an elephant, a pony and a bunny and other toys.

If you have any others you would like to recommend, please email us a link!

Truth and Myth of Natural and Organic Fabrics

From our August Newsletter:

There is a growing interest in natural fabrics such as organic cotton, hemp and bamboo, but "approach new fabrics with skeptical enthusiasm"People often forget that just because a fabric is made from natural fibers, doesn't necessarily make it environmentally friendly. We decided it was high time to do a little digging and find out the story behind some of the natural and organic fabrics especially when choosing fabrics for your baby.

Organic Cotton: Conventional cotton uses 25 percent of the world's insecticides and 10 percent of the world's pesticides (more than $2.6 billion worth). Organic cotton eliminates the use of chemical pesticides, fertilizer, defoliants and other toxins. Instead they depend on natural processes to increase yields and disease resistance, partly through enhancing soil quality. Organic production is also the only internationally recognised, independently assessed certification or label for cotton production - OTA

Hemp is an extremely fast growing crop, producing more fiber yield per acre than any other source. Hemp can produce 250% more fiber than cotton using the same amount of land. The amount of land needed for obtaining equal yields of fiber place hemp at an advantage over other fibers. The plant itself is easy to grow in temperate climates, and requires good soil, fertilizer and water, but no pesticides nor herbicides. Moreover, hemp does not exhaust the soil. Hemp plants shed their leaves all through the growing season, adding rich organic matter to the topsoil and helping it retain moisture. - Hemptraders

Bamboo, at first glance, sounds great: it's a fast-growing plant, not reliant on chemicals, and beautifully drapes the human form. Trouble is, bamboo plantations can displace native forests, and the harvesting and fiber processing are often polluting and unregulated. As with soy, corn, and Tencel (which comes from trees), the processing from plant to fabric is energy and resource intensive - TreeHugger

Camping with Your Baby

So getting outdoors used to be one your favorite pass times. But now shouldering your backpack has been replaced by shouldering your baby carrier. Never fear! Getting back outdoors and introducing your baby to it is not as complicated as you might think. You might not be the minimalist packer that you once were, but just add a few things to your packing list and you'll be back outside.

To read our full article with packing list, visit Trailpeak

Perfect Blanket for a Perfect Summer

Those blissful summer days are here, great weather for spending time with your family at the park, the beach or on a picnic and I recently got to use a blanket that is a must-have for those memory-making moments.

With some friends and their kids at a park one of the gals had this great big blanket with cushiony fleece on one side and waterproof fabric on the other. A bit of cushioning to keep bums and knees happy, but without the worry of dampness seeping through the blanket.

This great "SpillProof Blanket" is made by Milk Factory, a local Vancouver company. Check it out and enjoy wonderful summer adventures with your family and friends!

Organic Cotton for your Baby?

So why is organic cotton a better choice for your baby products?

Q: What is organic cotton?
A: Growing organic cotton reduces the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers, and build biologically diverse agriculture. To be considered organic, fabrics must be certified to ensure that organic producers use only methods and materials allowed in organic production. The benefits to babies, is the softness and quality that only organic cotton can provides.

Q: Difference from non-organic cotton?
A: The cotton that is grown in conventional ways is compromised and weakened by the chemicals used in growing, processing and dying of the cotton, all these things break the fiber down and create a weaker, inferior cotton garment, that is why you get a softer, stronger, better cotton using organic.

Statistics:

• Regular cotton uses approximately 25% of the world's insecticides and more than 10% of the pesticides
• Approximately 10% of all pesticides sold for use in U. S. agriculture were applied to cotton
• Eighty-four million pounds of pesticides were sprayed on the 14.4 million acres of conventional cotton grown in the U.S. in 2000 (5.85 pounds/ acre)
• Over 2.03 billion pounds of synthetic fertilizers were applied to conventional cotton the same year (142 pounds/acre)
• The Environmental Protection Agency considers seven of the top 15 pesticides used on cotton in 2000 in the United States as “possible,” “likely,” “probable,” or “known” human carcinogens
• It takes roughly one-third of a pound of chemicals (pesticides and fertilizers) to grow enough cotton for just one T-shirt.

How Can a Sleep Consultant Help You?

I had the opportunity to talk with Helen Sands, a sleep consultant based in Vancouver BC with over 29 years of experience assisting families internationally.

Read below to find her answers about sleep consulting and how you may benefit from talking with a sleep consultant

What is a sleep consultant?
Many families are in crisis, unsure if they can go another day without adequate sleep! An experienced consultant can provide sleep education for families whose child or baby is experiencing sleep issues. Many parents are often completely exhausted by the time they contact me! I take a very hands on approach, finding out as much information about their family as possible and then designing and preparing a sleep plan that will suit their individual needs and work for them.

What does a sleep consultant do?

• Meets with parents and gives them the tools to teach their baby or child to go off to sleep on their own.
• Guides parents through night time awakenings and how to ensure baby learns to sleep through the night.
• Guidance and instruction on how to implement healthy naps and ensure baby gets the amount of sleep she needs.
• Guidance on nutrition.
• Gives information on how long and how often a child should be sleeping, in every 24 hour period.
• Provides the tools to teach baby to sleep through the night, in as little as a few days, sometimes immediately! (step by step guide).
• Provides information on how to handle sleep situations when the family travels together as well as how to deal with illness and teething.
• General tips and hints on how to achieve longer, healthier sleep for the child! Achieving quality sleep is not about any one particular thing.
• I provide a step by step “map” to ensure baby achieves maximum quality sleep around the clock!

Can a sleep consultant help with your child’s sleep?

• Here is a list of questions parents should ask themselves in order to assess their situation:
• Does your child resist every time you try to put her down for a nap?
• Does she cry and cry until baby ends up having no nap?
• Do you walk the floor with your baby until she falls asleep?
• Do you use props such as “rocking” to put your baby to sleep?
• Does your baby only return to sleep if you nurse her?
• Do you have to lie down beside your baby/child in order for them to fall asleep?
• Do you resort to driving your baby around in the car or “stroller walking” to assist her in falling asleep?
• Is your baby waking up many times during the night and cannot fall back to sleep without you being there?
• Does your child cling to you constantly and seem inconsolable, at certain times of the day?
  Is your child extremely exhausted by the end of each day?

What ages of children does a sleep consultant work with?
I work with children from newborn to the age of 6 years. While in the newborn phase (0-4months), I can offer guidance on how to shape the child’s sleep, beginning with ensuring baby knows how to sleep for 7-9 hours straight at night, from the age of approximately 10-12 weeks. We can also work on nap training, putting into place the morning nap, followed by the afternoon, by the age of 20 weeks. At 5 months, baby should be sleeping through the night from 7.30pm to 6.30am, with two very lengthy naps each morning and afternoon, followed by a small “kip” at the end of the day to see her through to bedtime.

Some babies will spontaneously sleep through the night from a very early newborn age, but it is not common. I work with babies particularly, to ensure they learn how to sleep adequately from a very early age. The most common age groups I work with are 5 months through to 3 years.

How long does sleep training take?

We can have your baby sleeping through the night within 3-5 nights, and often, less! Nap training varies, but it can sometimes take a little longer. With the parent’s commitment to the plan, great improvements can be made to naps within 2 weeks. Ensuring your baby or child experiences sufficient sleep within every 24 hour period, will be our goal! I work together with the parents to ensure this happens for the family!

How do I find out more about Helen Sands?

Visit: http://www.helensands.com/ Phone: (604) 803 0068 Email: info@helensands.com

Sleep Consultant Extraordinaire!

I recently had the pleasure of meeting with Helen Sands, an infant sleep consultant, who consults internationally. Her specialty is helping your child get better sleep in as little as two weeks. Judging from her client feedback, she gets fantastic results!

Visit her website and go through her list of questions to see if your baby (and your sanity:) ) could benefit from her expertise. We've added her to our resource page because we feel she is such a wonderful sleep resource!

Getting the Scoop on Baby Products

Since the previous post, I came across a site that lets you read about and comment on different baby products. A great resource for information gathering with lots of feedback from other parents.

Check it out at: http://www.thebabyscoop.com/Default.aspx

Blogging Bonus

I love using the internet to research things, especially anything I buy online.

It's one thing reading what a company has to say about their products, but I am even more interested in hearing what other customers have to say. That got me thinking about how useful it is for people looking at our baby sleeping bags and fitted crib sheets to hear what your experience has been with our baby products.

As we are a mainly an online business, we really appreciate when people take the time to blog about us and include a link to our site. So if you blog about us, email us the link and we will give you $5 off your next online purchase in appreciation. (Excluding other offers)

Fitted Crib Sheets and Sleep Routines

Baby bedding is something that quickly becomes an important part of your baby's sleep routine. So choosing something that can be used year-round and is easy-care is essential. Although many people don't guess it, fleece sheets are a perfect all-year solution to bedding. In the winter they are warm to the touch, unlike cotton sheets and in the summer, even if sleeping in diapers only, the fleece sheets give a comforting texture to soothe babies. People seem to like ordering these sheets in twos, one to use and one to wash! No fuss, no muss!
Take a closer look.

Summer Sleep Sacks - Coming Soon!

Coming in June, we are excited to launch a cotton/hemp summer sleep sack.
After researching all the different natural fabrics out there, we decided on hemp because hemp is:

• Good for your baby...good for your environment!
• Highly breathable so perfect for warm weather
• Pesticide-free
• Non-allergenic
• Anti-bacterial
• Quick-drying
• Doesn't wear out, wears in (gets softer and softer as washed)
• Strongest of the natural fibers
• Environmentally-friendly - can be recycled
• More Details

Our New Sheep is a Hit!

Here is one of the testimonials we've received from our customers about our new "sleepy sheepy" applique. We've also promoted the "sleepy sheepy" to be our new logo!

"I just had to tell you again how much our son loves his sheep sack. He didn't want it off this morning - wanted it unzipped so he could walk but couldn't stand to let go of the sheep's legs! We then had to put it "on" over his coat and around the straps when we went running. He's given up playing with his other tags (stuffed animals, blanket) and is exclusively using the sheep's legs!
Yeah, sheep sack!! Thanks again," -Alix, Tacoma, WA

Visit our Sleepy Sheepy!

Help! Can You Lend Your Expertise?

We love to design our products according to what you would find useful!

Please take a moment and get your opinions posted on our 6-question survey and receive a coupon code for 10% off your next order!

Tell us what you think about long sleeve sleep sacks, quick dry summer sleep sacks and a few other things!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=750743472974

We really appreciate your input so we can serve you better!

Trouble Sleeping Through the Night?

Does your baby wake up a lot during the night? Although this is normal with small babies, sometimes older babies are waking up more than they should.

While there are lots of reasons this can happen, one may be that your baby is getting cold because they throw off the blankets while asleep.

This is a great reason to use a sleep sack. Aside from being a safety product, sleep sacks also stay securely in place ensuring your baby stays well covered through the night!

Baby sleep sacks can help your baby sleep better through the night...and who doesn't want that!

Baby Blankets & Sleep Sacks

We were at a show on the weekend and still are surprised by the number of people not yet familiar with sleep sacks. We spent alot of time explaining how sleep sacks are recommended by SIDS organizations as a safer alternative to baby blankets. Then of course people wonder if there baby will be warm enough without also using blankets.

Previously we blogged about layering underneath the sleepsack - heavier pajamas for the winter and lighter weight, or just diapers for the warmer months. As well, you can get different weights of sleepsacks from one layer cotton ones to heavy down baby sleeping bags.

Ideally you want to just use the sleep sack and no other blanket, so its good to match the sleep sack with the season and with your baby's room temperature and then layer underneath it accordingly.

Aromatherapy and Baby Sleep

Aromatherapy is a wonderful sleep aid for little ones and for sleep deprived parents.

Oils and techniques to help induce sleep in babies:

• Recommended oils include: chamomile, lavender, orange
• Add 1- 2 drops of chamomile oil into a 2 ounze bottle of massage oil [not mineral oil] and massage your baby before bed.
• Use one drop of lavender or chamomile in your baby's bath before bed or naptime.
• Take a 4 ounze spritzer bottle and add 3 drops of chamomile, 3 drops of lavender and 2 drops of orange and spritz in the air an hour before nap time or bed time.

More relaxed children help sleep deprived adults!

Oils and techniques for sleep deprived parents:

• They can use the oils to help rejuvenate them and their body; this will help them deal with the 'no sleep' time in their lives.
• The oils that are best for rejuvenation are Myrtle oil, Eucalyptus oil, Tea tree oil, Pine oil, Fir oil and Clarysage oil.
• These can be used in a number of ways; have your partner to massage you, put 4 drops into a hot bath and soak them into your body, use them in your showers in the morning or car diffusers for the morning wake up or the end of day wake up.

If you have any questions or concerns please consult a specialist for proper use.

For more detailed information or help in other areas please contact Deborah Drummond at http://www.aromametyropolitan.com/ or email her at metroaroma@shaw.ca or call her at 604-739-3926

Developing Baby Sleep Routines

Developing a baby sleep routine is hard enough! Trying to keep your baby's sleep routine when you are traveling can feel next to impossible. Check out this great article to get some good tips for sleep routines both at home and on the road!

Check out our Guarantee!

Being an online shopper myself, I know it sometimes feels like a bit of a gamble ordering online.

For this reason we have recently posted our "Lifetime Guarantee" on the website.

We are confident you will love our products - - so we want to stand behind them 100%!

See the full guarantee here

Baby Name Wizard

I just came across this great little tool. It's often a challenge choosing a name for your baby. Now you can get some help in finding out the predicted popularity of the names you are considering.
Type in a baby's name you are thinking of and find out the projected popularity.
Visit: babynamewizard.com/namevoyager/lnv0105.html

Infant Sleep Sacks

Firstly, Happy New Years, a whole new year full of possibilities!

I have been getting many hits from parents looking for sleepsacks for older children. There aren't too many companies in North America that offer this, although in Europe it is much easier to find.

Its nice to have sleep sacks that can last until a child moves into a toddler bed, this keeps a child's sleep routine consistent no matter where you are!

Our size large baby sleeping bag fits to around 24 to 30 months depending on the infant.

If you are looking for even bigger options, check out:
http://haloinnovations.com/product_detail.cfm?pf_id=1049


A great gift idea is our Sleepy Time Gift Bundle, which features three sizes of sleep sacks, lasts from birth to 2-3 years. Nothing like giving the gift of safe sleep!